392 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



THE PLAICE (sw. rodsi'ottan). 

 PLEURONECTES PLATESSA. 



Plate XXI, fig. 2. 



Body oval, its greatest depth in full-grown specimens varying between 38 and 42 % {sometimes as much as 45 %) 

 of its length. Dorsal fin with at most about 75 {63 — 76") rays, anal with at most about 55 {48—57''). Least 

 depth of the tail as a rule less than I) % {7 — (S'a %') of the length of the body or about S3 % {30 — 35 %'') of 

 the length of the head, which is more than 20 % {in full-grown specimens 21 — 24 %) of the length of the body. 

 Distance between the anal fin and the tip of the snout usually less than 33 % {in adult specimens 28 — 32 %, but 

 sometimes 34 %) of the length of the body. Anal spine behind the rent present. Bays of the ventral fins 6. 

 Head without muciferous cavities. Lateral line only slightly curved in the abdominal region {above the pectoral 

 fins). Vertebrce 43 or 44'. Jaw-teeth in adult specimens close-set, compressed incisors, on the eye side few, and 

 generally smaller and more scattered than cm the blind side; pharyngeal teeth obtuse molars: the triangular lower 

 phary}igeals contiguous at the inner margin. Median frontal ridge between the eyes continued backwards by a 

 raised bar, generally with five distinct protuberances. Sccdes as a rule cycloid. Coloration tf the eye side 

 grayish greenish-brown, with round, red or flame-yellow, brown-edged spots scattered on the body 



and also on the vertical fins. 



B. bv. 7; D. 63—76(77); A. (47)52—57(61); P. 10—12; 

 V. 6; C. .r+13 — 16+.r; Lin. lat., por. 80—90; Vert. 43—44. 



Si/n. Platessa, Auson. (vide Gesner: De Aqtiat., p. 675). 



Pleuronectes oculis et tuberculis sex a dextra capitis, lateribus 

 glabris, spina ad aiunn. Art., Gen., p. 17; >'Syn., p. 30; 

 Spec, p. 57; LiN., Fii. Siiec, ed. I, p. 113; It. Wgot., 

 p. 179; Pleuronectes, Slatt-vahr, Lin., It. Scan., p. 326 et 

 in indice VII. 



Pleuronectes Platessa, Lin., St/st. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 269; 

 Retz., Fn. Saec, Lin., p. 330; Qvens., Vet.-Akad. HandL 

 1806, p. 211; NiLSS., Prodr. Ichth. Scand., p. 54; Faber, 

 Tidskr. f. Naturv. Khlivu, Bd. V, p. 245; Id., Ms, 1828, 

 p. 865; SCHAOERSTR., Pliysiogr. Sallsk. Tidskr., p. 310; 

 NiLSs., Scand. Fn., F/sk., p. 612; Ekstr., v. Weight, Skand. 

 Fish., ed. 1, p. 219, tab. 60; Gthe. Vat. Brit. Mhs. Fish., 

 vol. IV, p. 440; LiNDSTi!., Gotl. Liins Hush. Sallsk. Arsbcr. 

 1866, p. 26 (sep.); Coll., Vid. Selsk. Forli. Christ. 1874, 

 Tilla-gsh., p. 144; Malm, Gbgs, Boh. Fn., p. 525; Winth,, 

 Naturh. Tidskr. Kbhvn, ser. 3, vol. XII, p. 39; Gigl., Espos. 

 intern. Peso. Berl. 1880, Sez. Ital. Cat., p. 98; Benecke, 

 Fische, Fischer., Fisch:. West., O.-Preuss., p. 96; Day, 

 Fish. Gt. Brit., Irel, vol. II, p. 25, tab. CI; Mela, Vert. 

 Fenn., p. 307, tab. IX; Mob., Hcke, Fisch. Osts., p. 91; 

 LiLLJ., Sv., Norg. Fisk., vol. II, p. 358. 



Pleuronectes ijuadrituherculatus, Pall., Zoogr. Ross. As., toni. 

 Ill, p. 423. 



Platessa vulgaris, Flem., Brit. Anim., p. 198; Gottsche, 

 Wiegra. Arcli. Naturg. Jahrg. 1, Bd. 2, p. 136; Kr., Damn. 

 Fisk., vol. 2, p. 248; Thomps., Nat. Hist. Irel., vol. IV, 

 p. 192; MoR., Hist. Nat. Poiss. Fr., torn. Ill, p. 291. 



Pleuronectes horealis, Faber, Isis 1828, p. 868; Schagerstr., 

 Physiogr. Sallsk. Tidskr., p. 310. 



Pleuronectes Pallasii, Steind., Stzbcr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. 

 Naturw. CI., Bd. LXXX, Abth. I, p. 163. 



The ordinary length of" the Plaice on the we.st 

 coast of Sweden is between 25 and 35 cm., though, 

 even there, it often attains a larger size. Specimens 

 more than 60 cm. long are, however, rare in Bohuslan. 

 The length of the Plaice seems nowhere to exceed 80 

 cm. This size is sufficient, however, to render it the 

 largest species of the genus. 



The body is oval and, in youth especiallj-, i-ather 

 elongated, the greatest depth, excluding the fins, vary- 

 ing in young specimens (less than 2 dm. long) between 

 44 and 49 % of the length to the base of the caudal 

 fin, and in older specimens between 50 and 57 % of 

 the latter measurement. The thickness is somewhat 

 less than '5 of the depth. Both in the depth and 

 thickness, however, there are many individual varia- 

 tions. In this species too, we often find that when a 

 specimen has exceeded the ordinary size of the species, 

 it reverts, by a kind of reaction, to the juvenile form. 



The relative length of the head decreases -with age, 

 and varies, subject to the same remark with regard to 

 individual variations, in young specimens between 3172 

 and 28 % of the length from the tip of the snout to the 

 base of tlie caudal fin, and in older specimens between 



" According to Gottsche 61 — 77: the latter number is also given by Artedi. 



' Sometimes 47, according to Kroyer; sometimes 61, according to Gottsche. 



' Exceptionally 9. 



<* Exceptionally 40. 



' The latter number in two of the skeletons in the possession of the Royal Museum 



